


Snapshots

by triggeringthehealing (froggydarren)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Adopted Children, Christmas, Family Feels, Future Fic, Gen, M/M, Pack Feels, mention of Hale-McCall pack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:27:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21825907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/froggydarren/pseuds/triggeringthehealing
Summary: Stiles didn't plan on having the new house be the place for the pack holiday dinner this year. But they get volunteered and he figures, what better way to make the holiday special for the new addition to their little emerging family: their daughter, Lia.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 6
Kudos: 85
Collections: 12 Days of Sterek





	Snapshots

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aredblush](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aredblush/gifts).



> Written for [12 Days of Sterek](https://12daysofsterek.tumblr.com) on tumblr. 
> 
> Art/fic collab with [aredblush](https://aredblush.tumblr.com) whose art is always and forever an inspiration and I hope y'all give her all the love she deserves :D

Stiles stares for a moment and wonders how in the world he got into this situation. It's precisely the explanation he's waiting for after  _ his husband _ came home from work announcing that they're going to be hosting the family and friends Christmas dinner. 

Across the room, Derek is looking more sheepish than when he had the news about Lia and refuses to look Stiles in the eyes. He's still in his uniform, something that would normally be a full-on distraction from everything he just said. Stiles wonders if that was on purpose but Derek also seems genuinely flustered and a little shaken so there's no telling whether there was any mischievous planning involved. It's more Stiles's own style anyway. 

"So? Care to explain yourself?" Stiles asks again, torn between being grumpy and being exasperated.

Truth be told, he knew they would be the ones in charge of the dinner one year. A few years after everything settled in the town, the pack got into an unspoken rotation of hosting events, be it holidays or birthdays. Stiles himself threw what he thought was a rather spectacular birthday party for Scotty the year after Isaac graduated and finally moved back to Beacon Hills. Derek hosted -- voluntarily, to everyone's surprise -- several parties in the loft as the years went on, one of them being his and Stiles's own engagement party. 

But Stiles isn't sure they're ready to host something as big as the Christmas dinners tend to be. It's the one holiday that almost everyone likes to come back to town for, the one event where families reunite, no matter how scattered or broken they are during the year. Hell, even Rafael tends to book his holidays then, even if he only makes it a short visit. And Stiles's father has finally given in and started delegating the holiday shifts to other deputies. Last year, Lydia hosted the dinner in the lake house -- now that it's the Martin's again after she bought it back -- and Stiles lost count of how many people attended. 

So he's not completely thrown by the fact that it's their turn, he just didn't think it would be this year, of all of them. Sure, they've finished the house early in the year and it's perfectly livable now, guest rooms and a big dining room included. But on the other hand, this year was already a bit of a big deal for them, from finishing the house in the Preserve, through Stiles getting to run his own team in his division at the FBI, through Derek getting his official Deputy barge after years of consulting and after going through the arduous academy training. 

They also got Lia this year. The three-year-old currently tucked in her bed upstairs and -- Stiles hopes -- sleeping soundly after a day of mischief and chaos. The little werewolf orphan who found their way to them through the rescue system that Scott is running as a side thing to the veterinary clinic that he's now sharing with Deaton. She's been left alone after a group of hunters who were still following the legacy of Gerard and Monroe decided that they needed to get rid of her pack out in the wilderness of Alaska. Scott got wind of them a little too late, arrived at the pack's home only to find her among the rubble, in the arms of her grandfather who was barely holding on. Derek was the one who put the wheels in motion to get the paperwork sorted so that she could stay with them permanently, only days after Scott brought her to Beacon Hills and asked them to take care of her until he found her a permanent home. 

She has one now, right here, right in the middle of the Preserve and in the center of the Hale-McCall Beacon Hills pack. 

This is why Stiles can't believe that Derek would volunteer them to host something this big with a toddler to take care of, during her first Christmas with them as a family. 

"I didn't  _ volunteer _ ," Derek grumbles and Stiles realizes that he's been muttering his thoughts, loud enough for werewolf ears to hear. "There was a discussion at the station and Jordan said it wasn't their turn since they hosted last year’s. Your father and Melissa and Chris did the birthday party last month and said they were getting too old to party too much."

Stiles scoffs, knowing fine well that it's just an excuse from the parents. The  _ older _ parents, since there are more in the pack now than just his father and those of his generation. 

"So if you didn't volunteer, how did we end up drawing the short straw?" 

"Jordan was the one who pointed out we didn't host anything since we finished the build," Derek tells him. 

"Well, we kind of had our hands full," Stiles points out, looking in the general direction of Lia's bedroom. 

"We did. He also said it would be nice to have the holiday nice and big for her since it's her first one."

"That can be done without us running the show."

"I know. But they kind of just stared at me and then John nodded and Jordan shrugged and Chris came in and well, that's about it," Derek says, uncharacteristically rambling and sounding unsure of everything. 

Almost like he doesn't remember agreeing to it but also knowing that he didn't have a chance at all, in the end. Stiles can totally buy that if his father and Chris were both involved. He's just surprised that they didn't simply get a call about the decision earlier. Not that he'd be any more impressed if that was the case. As it is, he already knows they're in for a wild ride, trying to make all of this happen. 

"So, Christmas dinner. That shouldn't be too bad, right?" 

He knows he's failing at sounding optimistic, but Derek finally looks up and gives him a soft and hesitant smile. The kind that always reminds Stiles of just how  _ soft _ his husband can be when the time is right. The smile that melts away all of Stiles's defenses and gets him to agree on absolutely everything, no matter how crazy or badly advised it might be. 

"What will we need to do? We can do most of the cooking, I've done it enough," Stiles starts talking and putting together a mental checklist. "We're already going to be baking cookies anyway, Lia made me promise she could decorate."

"We'll need to play delivery for everyone who's flying in," Derek points out and Stiles groans. "That's part of the deal."

"Lydia got away easily for that one," Stiles says. "But I guess hiring cabs could turn out expensive." 

Derek nods. 

"And I guess it's going to be me doing the driving since you're insisting on owning the smallest car known to man," Stiles grumbles. 

"Don't see you complaining on date nights," Derek replies with a grin as he walks over. 

He stops right in front of Stiles and braces his hands on the counter that Stiles is leaning on. He's still smiling when he leans in, the heat of his body seeping through the uniform when he presses his lips against Stiles's. 

"Don't think you're off the hook," Stiles mumbles into the kiss. "You're gonna have to help out with all of it."

Derek hums in agreement and then Stiles stops thinking about the number of things they'll have to do. Instead, he lets himself relax and kisses Derek back. 

=== 

Derek volunteers for the first thing on their list. It takes days to put together what they'll need to take care of and he's pretty sure that while Stiles is thorough and wrote down as much as he could think of, there will be things that they'll need to add to their tasks and squeeze in between all the stuff they already know of. 

But one of the main tasks that they agreed on early was getting a tree to set up in the living room. 

Stiles said that they rarely, despite living close to a tree nursery and near the forest of the Preserve, had a real tree when he was celebrating the holidays with his parents and then with his dad. The latter was understandable, Derek can imagine that the holidays weren't something either of the Stilinskis would want to focus on, not with the gaping hole in their lives. He was surprised to hear about the holidays before Claudia's death since it emerged over the years that she had been involved with the pack. 

The Hales didn't  _ run _ the nursery but they used to own the land it was on for a long time -- Derek remembers helping out when he was little and he knows that his mother was heavily involved in it for a time -- and he helped reestablish it a few years ago when the owner passed away. It's still not his business but he owns the land again and eventually, after much shuffling around, Natalie Martin ended up working there during the holiday season. 

"We used to do this with Mom," he tells Stiles when they start discussing it. "Every year there was this huge tree in the middle of the house, taking up most of the living room. Laura and I picked it the last time." 

He smiles softly as Stiles's hand squeezes his shoulder.

"She didn't want to go. It was her first year in college and she was late coming back home so we almost didn't get one," Derek continues reminiscing. "I wouldn't have admitted it back then but it was one of my favorite parts of the holidays, going out into the forest and finding the right tree."

"I'm guessing it meant you could run around the forest freely," Stiles remarks, amusement in his voice. 

"Oh definitely. But I also liked to think that I always picked the best tree," Derek tells him. "That year, I almost went out alone because Laura wasn't home yet. And I didn't think she'd be much help anyway. It was the biggest tree we had in the time that I remember. I think Mom was tempted to yell at us because it literally filled the room almost to the edges, we had to move the couches and all." 

"How did you get it  _ into the house _ ?" Stiles asks, chuckling. 

"Not easily. But we did and it was great," Derek says, not even trying to hide his pride.

"Okay well, please don't bring one that big this time. We might have space," Stiles comments as they both look around the living room they're sitting in, "but I'd really like to be able to move without getting pine needles everywhere."

Derek nods. A few days later, he takes Lia on the hunt for the perfect tree. There's snow already up at the top of the Preserve and he's looking forward to letting her run around and test her senses. She might be only three and she's no longer shifting uncontrollably unless she's particularly upset or excited, but her senses are definitely heightened more than a human toddler's would be. When they reach the more dense part of the forest he lets her walk and she almost immediately darts off into the shrubbery. 

"Lia, stay close," Derek says, loud enough that he knows she can hear him but not shouting because everything around them is quiet. 

He's not worried about her being out of his sight because he can smell her and hear where she's rustling about. It's great to see her this happy after everything she's been through already. While she roams around, he listens, keeps track of her heartbeat and breathing in between the sounds of the leaves rustling under her feet.

"Papa!" Lia calls out a second after Derek hears her heart speed up with excitement. 

When he finds her, she's standing in front of a massive tree and pointing at it. It's definitely bigger than what Stiles will approve of but not  _ too _ big. That is, Derek is sure that there will be space left in the living room so they can move around the tree once it's set up. And with the way Lia is staring at the tree, he's pretty sure he's not going to be able to pull her away without a tantrum, which is not something he's good at dealing with. So instead of trying, he nods and picks her up.

"Okay, this one?" 

Lia nods and grins. 

"Daddy's not going to be happy," Derek mutters, knowing fine well that she can hear him. 

He also knows that it's pointless when she looks at the tree again and her face lights up with an excited smile. Stiles will just have to deal. 

===

Stiles doesn't curse in front of Lia when she and Derek come back to the house, a massive tree on the top of the Jeep. It's a close call but he does manage to keep his thoughts contained and only tries to convey them to Derek via multiple glares and a very pointed eyeroll. Honestly, he should have known that letting Derek do the choosing would have ended up like this because as much as they  _ both  _ love their daughter, Derek's definitely not the bad cop when it comes to parenting. 

Not that Stiles blames him. Much. Only a little. Like now, when he's looking at the amount of maneuvering space left in their living room after Derek dragged the tree inside and put it into the stand. Sure, there is  _ some _ space but it's more Lia-sized than adult human-sized. 

"Dada, cookies?" Lia interrupts Stiles's musings. 

"Oh, right, yes," Stiles says, shaking his head to clear it. 

That's the next thing on their list and another one that Lia is heavily involved in. She's been playing kitchen assistant for a while now and decorating cookies has become her job unless they're for a specific occasion and need to be a little less kid-friendly. Then again, those are usually Derek's responsibility because -- Stiles has no qualms admitting it -- he's an amazing baker and his cupcakes are not only to die for when it comes to taste but also always very pretty. 

When Lia decorates, 'pretty' usually has to give way to 'plentiful'. That is a good thing for kindergarten goodies and family celebrations, not so much for official functions, no matter how family-only they might be. 

By the time Stiles catches up with her in the kitchen, she's already on her little step and tugging her flowery apron off the hook. She has a kid-size chef's hat that's a little crooked on her head and she huffs a little when Stiles fixes it and tucks her dark curls inside it. 

"So, which ones are we doing first?" Stiles asks, grabbing the ingredients while watching to make sure she doesn't slip off the step stool as she bounces with enthusiasm.

"Trees!" 

Stiles chuckles. "Okay, tree cutters it is. But are we doing chocolate ones or vanilla ones?" 

He found super simple recipes some time ago when Lia first showed interest in helping out in the kitchen and the cookies have been a hit with everyone in the family. They also have just enough flavor that the amounts of icing Lia usually puts on them doesn't overwhelm everything else. 

"'Nilla," Lia says after a moment of thinking, her forehead scrunched. 

"We will make both," Stiles tells her, immediately seeing the relief on her face. "We're just going to do the vanilla ones first and  _ then _ the chocolate ones. Maybe tomorrow, if it takes us too late. We're going to need  _ lots _ of cookies for the holidays."

Lia nods sagely and watches as Stiles measures out the ingredients and puts them into the bow. When the dry parts are all in, he hands her the spatula and smiles.

"Okay, now it's your turn. Remember how we said to do it? Nice and slow," Stiles tells her. 

He pours in the wet ingredients as she mixes, guides her hand a little when it's needed, then kisses the top of her head, squishing her hat a little. 

"Dada!" 

"I'm sorry, chef," Stiles apologizes immediately with a soft smile. "Okay, my turn rolling this out, then cutting."

They work with very few words, Lia's face serious as she concentrates on cutting out the trees she insisted on. Stiles watches and helps, then sets up the cookies on the baking tray and dusts off the flour from his hands.

"Wanna go see what Papa is up to? I'll call you when it's decorating time."

Lia barely pauses long enough to nod and then she's off into the living room where Derek is. Stiles doesn't want to know what he's doing, as long as their house is still in one piece by the time the holidays are over. He grabs the trays with the cookies, puts them in the oven, then sets the timer and lets himself relax. 

By the end of the day, they'll be partly done with two of the things on their list. He's not sure how the rest of it will go but they're definitely off to a good start. Not that he's trying to jinx them. Instead of letting his mind wander off into what's inevitably dangerous territory, he walks over to the arch that leads into the living room and leans against the side as he watches his husband and daughter fuss around with the tree branches. 

With the vanilla scent from the kitchen, the pine needles spreading their aroma through the living room, it's starting to feel like Christmas is here. Aside from his terror at running the dinner show this year, Stiles can't wait for it to come. 

===

The problem with getting present for everyone is that while some area easy -- Derek knows that Lia is going to love hers and he's gotten pretty good at picking presents for the parents in the pack like John and Melissa and even Chris -- there are those who make the whole process way more complicated. 

He knows Cora better than he ever did and yet he has no idea what he can get her that can be reliably shipped to Argentina. 

"You know, I could get you tickets to fly up here for the holidays," he tells her when she calls him with her wishlist, something he  _ asked _ her to do because he reached the end of his wits trying to figure something out. 

"And I told you that I can't this year," Cora says in an exasperated tone. "I promised Ani that I would stay. She'll have the entire pack here and then Noel's family is coming over too." 

"I know. I'd still love to have you here," Derek says with a sigh. 

Their family is tiny now and while he did take a while to appreciate Cora -- he's still on the fence about Peter if he's completely honest -- he loves that they are close now. 

"Look, I'll see if I can make New Year's or the next full moon after," Cora says softly, smiling. "I would love to spend time with Lia."

"Right, you mean spoil her rotten."

"What else are Aunts for?" Cora chuckles. "Oh hey, about that, there's a parcel on the way, I'll send you the tracking details tomorrow."

"What did you do, Cor?" 

"It's not me, I swear. Ani put together what she calls a care package, I think. Or a baby wolf package. She insisted."

"As long as it's not anything dangerous," Derek concedes. "Now, come on, tell me what I'm getting you for Christmas."

"Shouldn't it be a surprise?" Cora asks and laughs. 

"We had this discussion. Yesterday. And last week. And a similar one when I tried to get your help with a gift for Isaac." 

"Okay okay," Cora laughs louder, then her expression softens. "You know, you're actually really good at choosing gifts, I don't know why you'd need my help at all."

"There are some people  _ you _ know better than I know them," Derek says. 

He'd love to say that he and Isaac mended things completely but Derek guesses that there will always be holes in their lives affecting their friendship, ones with two very distinct shapes. It's reason enough that Derek tends to feel like he needs to make up for that loss to Isaac, along with some other parts of that time in their lives. 

"Come on, please," he says quietly. 

On the other end of the line, Cora laughs and doesn't say anything at first. Derek's about to hang up on her because she's obviously not going to be any help when she clears her throat and gives him directions to the store she wants him to go to. He sighs in relief and starts walking, hoping that whatever she does want is not going to be unreasonably big. Since Cora is one of the people who aren't making it to Beacon Hills for the holidays, Derek knows that he'll have to post over anything that he wants her to get. 

"Hey, did you get something for Stiles yet?" Cora asks out of the blue and Derek sighs.

"Yes?" 

"Are you  _ asking _ or telling me?" 

"I have things," Derek tells her. "It's just not... there's always been one thing."

"Oh, a  _ thing _ ," Cora replies with understanding. "Like the time that it was the engagement ring or the time when you flew out to see him when he couldn't be home for the holidays."

"Yup. Thing." 

"Well, pity you didn't hold off on getting Lia until now, that would solve that issue," Cora tells him, laughing. 

"I'll figure it out," Derek says though he knows that he's not sounding too sure of that. 

To her credit, Cora doesn't call him out on what to her must sound like a very clear lie. 

==== 

"Dada, lights!" Lia shouts from across the room and Stiles sighs. 

There's a pile of shopping bags at his feet, a box right where she is standing and he's pretty sure that the door opening means that there's  _ more _ on the front porch. Stiles knows that the person who opened the door and walked in is Derek because he promised to take the afternoon off today so they could tackle tinsel, baubles, and all the decorating necessary for the house. Stiles himself just can't move right now, not without endangering the decorations piled up at his feet. 

"Lia, honey, is that Papa?" Stiles calls out, hoping that he's not in for a nasty surprise. 

_ It's only paranoia if they're not really after you _ , he thinks and chuckles a little bitterly. The town is peaceful now but memories last and worries continue. He's gotten more than enough flashbacks since they adopted Lia. 

"Papa! Papa! Lights?" Lia shouts, answering Stiles's question without actually doing so on purpose.

He'll take the wins that he can get. A moment later he can see her emerge from around the corner, snuggled against Derek's chest for about a second, then excitedly pointing at the tree that Stiles is standing by. 

"Help?" Stiles says meekly when he sees Derek look at him with curiosity. "Can't move. Not without breaking something."

"How did you even end up like this?" Derek asks, smiling as he puts Lia down on the ground and walks over to Stiles. 

"Magic?" 

"Right. Okay," Derek says, his eyes rolling. "Come on, let's get these up," he adds when he moves the bags out of Stiles's way. 

"I don't know where all these came from anyway," Stiles points at the bags of decorations. 

He'd already put up some of the lights when Lia was napping, which is the reason for her excited squeals at the flashing fairy lights, so different to the  _ actual _ fairies who live a few miles from the house. 

"You, me, your Dad," Derek replies. 

"I should've known Dad just wanted to clear out his attic for nefarious purposes when he asked if we wanted  _ some _ of the old decorations. I didn't even know they were still up there," Stiles says as he finally moves. "I remember these lights," he says, picking up a battered cardboard box, "and I can guarantee they haven't worked since I was about ten." 

"Then why are they still here?" Derek asks.

"Dad's not so good with throwing things out, he just tossed them on the pile in the attic. I'd guess some of the baubles will be broken too unless he actually got Melissa to help him clear them out before he dropped them off." 

"Somehow, I don't think that will be the case," Derek tells him, chuckling as he pulls out a shard of a red bauble from one of the bags. 

"Naturally," Stiles says and sighs. "Okay, you're in charge of the bags and getting the broken stuff out into the bin."

"Why me?"

"Healing."

Derek sighs but nods, turning to the bags in question and crouching down to get started. Stiles moves around him and toward Lia instead. She's already snooping in one of the newer bags, the ones that they brought home the day before from the mall. They took her to pick out some of their own decorations despite having all the old ones. 

"Okay baby, time to start our own traditions," Stiles says as he sits down on the floor next to her. "Wanna help me put up the baubles?"

"Bobbles?" Lia asks as she turns to him. 

" _ Baubles _ ," Stiles repeats, pulling out a box with the silver ones she chose. "We have to decide which ones we're using." 

"Moons please!"

"Okay, but where are the moons going?"

He can hear Derek chuckling across the room. Lia chose these ones because they do look a little bit like tiny moons and Stiles figures it's because she's drawn to the actual Moon. Something tells him that the tree will have little else but silver baubles this year, the way she's staring at them with wide eyes and amazement. 

"We'll leave those for the tree then," he tells her, putting the box to one side. "But we need to pick something for the stairs and porch." 

Lia pauses and frowns, then dives after one of the boxes between Stiles and Derek. It's one that came from the Stilinski house too and Stiles freezes, wondering whether there's a risk of anything being broken in there. When Lia pulls out a small cardboard box, he sighs in relief. He knows those, they're little wood-carved snowmen on a string, slightly scuffed up and worn. 

"Good choice! You know, my mama had these since  _ she _ was little," he adds as Lia brings them over. "She said her grandpa made them."

Lia is only half listening but when Stiles looks across the room, his eyes meet Derek's. A small smile is exchanged between them before Stiles turns his attention back to Lia, who's doing a rather questionable job untangling the snowmen. 

"Okay, do these go outside?" 

Lia nods. 

"Then you need your jacket so we can go put them up. I even have the bigger ones we got yesterday." 

He holds out a hand for the decorations and she dashes off the moment she hands them over. Stiles watches her head out into the hallway and then turns around to Derek, who's holding another shard of a bauble, this time purple. 

"We're gonna do the outside while you get those cleared up."

"Will we have time for the tree today?" 

"Doubt it. We've got to get the lights set up on the porch."

"I'll get the extension leads," Derek says. "Once I'm done cleaning up here." 

Stiles nods and crouches down to find the bigger snowmen in the shopping bags. 

"Just promise me you won't climb up on the roof at any point," Derek comments a moment later, then chuckles. 

"Excuse me?" 

"it's freezing, the roof is wet, you're not a werewolf."

Stiles huffs. 

"Does that mean you're going to do it?" 

He doesn't wait for a response, figuring that Derek will understand that it means that he  _ is _ going to put up the reindeer on the roof, along with the sleigh. Stiles has more important things to do now, since Lia is impatiently bouncing by the front door, her coat on backward and hat nowhere to be seen. 

====

"How many more?" Derek asks as he hefts a suitcase into the back of the Jeep. 

"Just this," Lydia nods at the small carry-on at her feet. "I'm not  _ that _ bad." 

"Oh, I wasn't asking you," Derek tells her with a smirk directed at Jackson who's a few feet away. "Those three brought half of London with them."

"Hey, mine's only the carry-on," Danny protests, already in the Jeep's back seat. 

"I'm glad I brought the Jeep," Derek grumbles, closing the back. 

"We could have just gotten a rental," Ethan says, climbing into the back seat next to Danny. "We all have driven here before, the wrong side of the road wouldn't be an issue."

"Yeah well, I was already picking up Lydia," Derek tells him as he walks around the car. "No point wasting money." 

"And Stiles told you to pick us all up," Danny says quietly, though it's kind of pointless when there are three shifters in the car's vicinity, hearing everything, even things that are whispered. 

"He did. Now let me get you to Beacon Hills in one piece. That means no back seat or passenger seat driving," Derek says with a pointed look at Lydia and Jackson, who are both already in the Jeep too. 

"At least this isn't Roscoe. I don't think that one would be up for the drive anymore," Lydia says with a soft smile. 

Derek figures her mind brought up memories of Stiles's old Jeep, the one that got him through high school and a few years after. The same one that is in their garage, no longer road-worthy. Stiles replaced it with a new one around the time when they got Lia, citing safety and the need for a car that can handle a toddler car seat. Derek's Camaro  _ can _ , but it's way less suitable for family trips. Or for carting around pack members who will be spending the winter holidays in town and need to be brought to their respective homes and other accommodation. 

"Roscoe is not up for  _ any _ drives these days. Gave up a week before Lia's adoption came through," Derek explains. 

Lydia has met her goddaughter but it wasn't in Beacon Hills. They visited her on the east coast a few weeks after Lia was officially theirs, to introduce them. She already knew Scott who never left town long term, other than one semester in Sacramento before he got his full veterinary degree. 

"Who else is coming?" Jackson asks. 

"Kira got in this morning, Isaac is flying in tomorrow," Derek replies. "Everyone else has been here a while." 

"Cora?" 

It's Lydia who asks and Derek can sense that she's holding back another name. Derek shakes his head and doesn't bother mentioning that Peter isn't going to be there either. He's on better terms with his uncle now but not quite enough to play happy families. 

"So how come you're the cab driver? I thought Stiles was supposed to do the airport pick-ups." 

"He was but then he got caught up at home." 

"Lia?" 

"They're baking. Again."

"Did you eat all the stuff they baked before already?"

Derek glares at Jackson through the rearview mirror and sighs before answering.

"No. Scott was over for dinner last night and there weren't enough cookies left. We also apparently need a gingerbread house." 

"Obviously," Lydia deadpans. "Can't have Christmas without one." 

"Do you guys need any help with preparations?" Danny asks quietly, then yelps as Ethan elbows him. "What? We're coming over for dinner, it's nice to offer help." 

"You're the only one who does  _ nice _ , Danny," Lydia says, not bothering to turn around to look at him. "Those two next to you are getting coal and potatoes. Have done so since high school." 

"I can guarantee that's not the case," Jackson chimes in, sounding smug. "Just last year, I got--"

"Something none of us need to hear about," Lydia interrupts him. "You three keep all that behind closed doors." 

Derek takes a deep breath and continues focusing on the road. At least when he's going to be picking up Isaac, it's going to be a quiet ride home. He hopes. 

====

Despite several offers to help, it's only them decorating the tree. Derek's winding the lights around the tree while Lia hands over bauble after bauble, almost too fast for Stiles to put them onto the branches. They're about halfway done with the tree now and Stiles realizes that getting all the old stuff from his Dad along with all the decorations each of them already had is needed considering the size of the tree that Derek lugged in from the forest. 

"We're never going to be done with this," Stiles says with a sigh. "Wanna help me, baby?" 

Lia nods and holds up her arms. Stiles picks her up and hands her a small wooden train. She leans forward and clumsily hangs it on one of the branches, barely far enough to hold. It's Derek who reaches out and pushes it further so it holds, then he offers to take her. She happily moves to Derek's arms and they work like that for a while: Stiles picks the decorations, Lia finds a spot, Derek makes sure they're secure. 

"There's something I got for us," Derek says later when he puts Lia down on the ground and they let her put up a few of the trinkets on the lower branches. 

"Yeah?"

"Mhm. Picked it up when I was shopping last week."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"Wanted to surprise you." 

"Cheesy."

"You love it."

"I do. So what is it?" 

Derek smiles and leans in to kiss Stiles's cheek, then pulls out a small pouch from his pocket. He turns it upside down and shakes out three small pieces onto his palm. 

"How did you even find a wolf decoration?" Stiles asks when he gets a good look at what Derek is holding. 

They're three little figurines, each with a ribbon to put it up on a tree. One is a dark grey -- almost black, but those are almost impossible to track down like anything, in Stiles's experience -- wolf, another a curled up red fox. The last one is a tan wolf cub mid-jump. 

"Thinks this is the color she'll be?" Stiles asks with a smile. 

"We'll have to wait and see. She's not yet ready to shift anyway. But I thought it would be nice," Derek says softly. 

"It is. Lia, baby, come see what Papa got for us!" 

Lia bounds over, a bauble still dangling from her fingers. She looks up, wide-eyed, then smiles when Derek shows her the decorations.

"It's me," Stiles points at the fox, "Papa," he touches the bigger wolf, "and you," he picks up the cub and hands it to Lia. "Wanna find the perfect place for it?" 

Lia nods and steps back, then stares at the tree with her tiny brow scrunched and eyes narrowed like she's solving a serious problem. Stiles leans against Derek's side and they watch her for a little while before she turns to them and points at one of the branches too high for her to reach. 

"There?" Derek asks, already reaching to pick her up. 

She nods again leans out from Derek's arms to hang the little cub. 

"Okay, where do we put ours?" Stiles asks her. 

Lia points at the branches right next to the cub. "Gotta be close." 

"Right. Of course." 

Stiles picks up the fox and hangs it up, then watches Derek putting up the wolf. They're nested in the perfect spot, right in the middle of the tree, almost leaning against each other. Once that's done, Derek puts Lia down again and she dashes off to the box of baubles to get more. 

"New tradition?" Derek asks a beat later, glancing at the trio of figurines. 

"Sounds good to me," Stiles replies and leans forward for a kiss. "One of many." 

====

Derek has a list in front of him that would give a human a headache, so he's thanking his genetics for being a werewolf and thus not being plagued with them. There are notes upon notes about the upcoming dinner that they'll be serving, some from Stiles, some from the pack. One part has the proposed menu with all its alternatives, another part has the humans' allergies, then there's a whole heap of notes with preferences for how the potatoes and meat need to be done. 

"Why is this so complicated?" 

From across the kitchen table where he's sitting, Stiles chuckles and punches at the screen of his phone.

"At least you don't have to send this many requests to anyone," he tells Derek. "I swear, my father is trying to drive me crazy."

"He still insisting that either he or Jordan have to be at the station on the day?"

"Apparently, Beacon Hills Sheriff's Department will fall apart if they're not there." 

"I believe it. But I'm sure he'll manage to be here."

"He says he can wake us up in the morning."

"Somehow, I think that is not going to be necessary." 

Stiles looks up.

"Remember the Santa Claus visit at Lia's daycare?" 

Stiles nods.

"Well, apparently she's all about the mythical creatures and I think she wants to stay up and wait for him," Derek explains.

He's not sold on the whole thing. They have dealt with enough weirdness in their lives and a magical man climbing down the chimney in the middle of the night is not an image that fills him with joy. Not after the murderous creature that they fought a year ago that came into houses through pipes. 

"It's not like Santa is any weirder than the stuff we know is real," Stiles says. 

"Do we really want to add to that pile though? He's made up."

" _ Werewolves _ are real, Derek. Something that I wouldn't have believed in middle school. Who's to say a magical old man doesn't fly around the world and deliver presents for good children? At least Santa Claus is one of the good ones," Stiles counters. "It's nice to have something to offset all the blood and murder." 

Derek rolls his eyes and looks back down at the meal plan. 

"Fine. But I'm not the one breaking her heart in a few years when she inevitably figures it out." 

"Unless Santa  _ is _ real," Stiles tells him. "It's absolutely within the realm of possibility."

"You'd still only get coal," Derek tells him without looking up. "I doubt you ever had a year when you didn't get in trouble." 

"Excuse me, I was a joy. Still am."

"You're not on the nice list, is what I'm saying."

"Are you trying to say you don't  _ like _ my naughty side?"

When Derek looks up, Stiles is grinning and his eyes have that familiar teasing twinkle that always makes Derek smile. 

"Depends. The kind that gets you into the woods full of dangerous creatures looking for dead bodies or inhalers? Not so much." 

"That was  _ one time _ ! And it's how we met!" 

"And I wasn't trying to kill you, unlike all the other predators lurking around in the Preserve or the school or just about anywhere else you throw yourself into when given half a chance." 

"I made it out every time," Stiles protests, but it's a little weak.

Everything in their past has left scars on both of them, barely any visible on their bodies, all of them a constant reminder of the war they've been through. 

"So, a little harmless fantasy for the holidays? We're keeping Santa Claus?" Stiles asks a little while later.

He's moved over to the pile of gifts he's wrapping up, his phone silent on the table. Derek tried not to go overboard on the presents but with this being their first Christmas as a family, he's pretty sure Lia is going to get everything she's hoping for and then some. 

"Fine. But like I said, you're the one dealing with the fallout later." 

Stiles grins in response before he picks up his phone. 

"That's it, Dad's gotta be here if Santa has a present for him under the tree. He wouldn't want to disappoint his granddaughter."

"You're a menace," Derek grumbles under his breath.

The response he gets is a gleeful smile as Stiles continues typing the message. 

====

Christmas Day is, as Stiles figured it would be, absolute chaos. It's not like he didn't know that having the house full of most of the pack would have any possibility of being quiet and relaxing but he has to admit that he  _ hoped _ it wouldn't be a disaster. 

Which it isn't, in the end. 

They have a start earlier than usual with Lia bouncing on their bed before sunrise, babbling about Santa and presents and the tree, almost managing to fall off before Derek pulls her down and they both shower her with kisses in an effort to delay leaving the comfortable warmth of the bed. It doesn't buy them much time before she squirms out of their hold and tries to tug off the blanket. 

"That's not very  _ nice _ , Lia," Stiles tells her, attempting to look stern but unable to hide the smile caused by her infectious excitement. 

"Come on!" Lia says, patience being the very last thing she's capable of. "Please?"

"Well, since you said  _ please _ ," Stiles replies and rolls over to get out of the bed. 

"Papa too!" 

Derek grumbles into the pillow but gets up just as Stiles is putting his feet on the cool floor with a hiss. it's too early, the fireplace is never on overnight for safety reasons, so the house has a chill to it that Stiles fights by wrapping a quilt around his shoulders. Naturally, Lia is too bouncy to be cold and Derek smirks as he walks downstairs barefoot and topless. 

"Show off," Stiles mutters, tugging the quilt closer. 

For the next hour, they're surrounded by wrapping paper and gift bags, listening to Lia's happy squeals and giggles as she goes through all the presents. Stiles only just manages to hold back tears as he unwraps his own gifts from his dad and Melissa, one of them a photo album with photos that John must have gotten from his and Claudia's extended families. 

Exhausted after the early wake-up call and the excitement of her toys, Lia goes down for a nap soon after. 

"Well, at least we can cook in peace," Stiles comments as he puts her down, her arms around the stuffed wolf toy that Cora sent over, bigger than Lia herself. 

"Then we better get started, I don't think she'll be out long," Derek replies. "When's everyone coming over?" 

"A couple of hours," Stiles replies, already heading out to the kitchen. "Bird's in the oven anyway, the rest should be fine."

It is, in the end. When everyone comes over, the meal is finished faster with the additional help and despite some disagreements about the seating plan, in the end, everyone is fed and watered and presents are exchanged. It's dark before the pack splits up for the night but thanks to another nap in the afternoon, Lia is wide awake. 

"So, what now?" Stiles asks as they sit down in front of the tree, Lia between him and Derek, eyes on the blinking lights on the branches. 

"Sleep?" 

"No sleep," Lia says with determination. 

"You sure she's not yours?" Derek asks, smiling as he looks at Stiles.

"Pretty sure I'd know about that," Stiles throws back.

He wonders though, for a beat, how it would be if they had more kids, ones that were his or Derek's. Maybe both. It's all music of the future though. Right now, he's good with what they have, right here. He looks up at the lights that Lia is so drawn to, blinking on their very first Christmas tree, the presents neatly stacked underneath the branches. Then he looks to his side for a glance at Derek, the fairy lights reflecting in his eyes as he's looking back at Stiles with a smile. 

They've got it all now, after all the years of chaos and fights. 

"So, the first holiday marked down as completed?" Derek asks quietly. 

"Completed successfully, I would say," Stiles tells him. "No one got hurt, we didn't need the ambulance, little miss here got spoiled more than we could have expected. I call that a win."

"Next year, it's someone else's turn," Derek says with finality. 

"Unless my dad interferes again."

He's still chuckling when he turns to the tree again, the image of Derek's unamused face still in his mind. 

**Author's Note:**

> [my tumblr](http://froggydarren.tumblr.com/) || [my sterek fic tumblr](http://triggeringthehealing.tumblr.com/)


End file.
